Experts discuss health disparities, social justice in Chicago

DePaul University hosts conference for public health professionals

Fernando De Maio, co-director of the Center for Community Health Equity, presents at the 2016 Health Disparities and Social Justice Conference. DePaul researchers presenting at the 2017 conference are available to discuss their research on lead contamination, intravenous drug use and other public health topics. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)CHICAGO — Public health
researchers at DePaul University are using health fairs to fight lead poisoning
and photo exhibitions to lessen the stigma against injection drug users. They
will discuss their efforts Aug. 8 during a health disparities and social justice
conference on DePaul’s Loop Campus.

The conference is presented by
DePaul’s Master of Public Health program and the Center for Community Health
Equity, a collaboration between DePaul and Rush University that seeks to
improve health outcomes and contribute to the elimination of health inequities
in Chicago. This year’s conference will focus on work being done by government
agencies, community organizations, health care systems and universities in the
context of today’s political climate. Experts from DePaul University will
present research on these topics at the conference:

Testing for lead in Chicago’s backyard

“Lead contamination is ubiquitous
in Chicago, and low-income communities of color bear the brunt of the
contamination,” said Julia Lippert, clinical assistant professor of public
health. Lippert and James Montgomery, associate professor of environmental
science, will discuss the community health fair model they piloted while testing
for lead in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. Research
assistant Camille DeMarco will also present findings from the pilot. Community
members brought soil and water samples from their homes and yards, and DePaul environmental
scientists tested the samples at the fair. “The results of this fair suggest
the need for a comprehensive investigation of lead contamination in the soil
and water in additional Chicago communities,” said Montgomery, who regularly
performs soil testing for free through his “What’s In Your Soil?” project. Lippert
can be reached at jlipper1@depaul.edu or 312-362-0208. Montgomery can be reached at jmontgom@depaul.edu or 773-325-2771.

Photovoice
exhibit features work by injection drug users in ChicagoSuzanne Carlberg-Racich, assistant professor of public health,
will present research and a photography exhibit created by people who inject
drugs in Chicago communities. The project used the Photovoice method, which
gives community members a process for documenting their experiences through
photography. “There is often open and volatile stigma toward people who inject
drugs,” said Carlberg-Racich. “We should be doing as much as we can to engage
the community in research, and the Photovoice research methodology provides an
interesting, safer avenue for injection drug users to participate in advocacy,”
she added. Carlberg-Racich can be reached at scarlber@depaul.edu or
312-362-1003.

Using
GIS to map the future of health researchGeography professor Euan
Hague will hold a skill-building workshop to introduce public health
professionals to the world of Geographic Information Systems and describe the
role of maps to better understand the unequal social determinants of health. “Geographic
Information Systems mapping technology in health research and analysis is a
rapidly growing field,” said Hague. “From the famous maps of cholera in 19th century
London, to modern efforts to control the spread of the Ebola virus in West
Africa, the role of maps in public health is critical.” Hague explained that GIS
can “provide a wide range of demographic data in a cartographic context, from
epidemiology to developing individual recovery plans for patients with reduced
mobility.” Hague can be reached at ehague@depaul.edu or 773-325-7890.

Establishing
a system for effective program evaluation and organizational learningBudgets for evaluating programs can be tight, according to Dan
Schober, clinical assistant professor of public health. Schober will describe
ways health and social service professionals can evaluate community health
programs and demonstrate progress. “Health and social service professionals are
expected to show that their community health programs are achieving outcomes,”
said Schober. He will describe lessons learned from two evaluation systems
being used in urban settings in Illinois. Schober can be reached at dschober@depaul.edu or
312-362-7313.

This marks the 10th year that
DePaul University has offered the health disparities and social justice
conference. The keynote speaker is Dr. Evan Lyon, chief integrated health
officer at Heartland Alliance. He will discuss issues of health and human
rights in Chicago and beyond. More information is available at https://www.healthequitychicago.org/hdsj2017.